Ley de Justicia Penal Juvenil (Juvenile Criminal Justice Law - Ley N.º 7576)

The Ley de Justicia Penal Juvenil (Ley N.º 7576, of March 8, 1996) regulates what happens when a minor engages in conduct that the Codigo Penal or another special law classifies as a crime or misdemeanor — the procedure and consequences are different from those for an adult.

Who it applies to: any person between 12 years of age (completed) and under 18 years of age at the time the act was committed.

Children under 12 years old: if the person who commits the act is under 12 years old, this law does NOT apply to them — civil liability remains (which can be claimed before competent courts), but the case is referred to the Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (PANI) to provide the necessary care and follow-up, rather than to a juvenile criminal process.

Principles guiding this law: comprehensive protection of the minor, their best interests, respect for their rights, their holistic development, and their insertion, integration, and restoration — both individual and social, within their family and in society. The approach is different from an adult criminal process, which is focused more on punishment.

Age distinctions within the range: the law establishes specific procedural protections between the 12 to 15 age group and the 15 to 18 age group, for example regarding detention and appeal rights.

Note: the complete list of sanctions/socio-educational measures provided by law for each age group could not be detailed in this review — for an actual case, this requires legal advice from a professional specializing in juvenile criminal matters or from the Defensa Publica.